1. Marrying local metadata needs with accepted standards: The creation of a data dictionary at UIC Library Kristin E. Martin and Peter Hepburn April 8, 2010

2. Outline Working with metadata
History of metadata guidelines at UIC Library
Considerations in approaching the data dictionary concept

3. Outline Writing the data dictionary Examples from the data dictionary
Issues
Conclusions/questions

4. PETER As it turns out, all of the above and more Circulation
They know where to find/shelve materials, right?
Cataloging
They know their metadata, right?
Systems
They know how to scan, right?
Digital Programs
Staff, equipment, what more do we need?
My role
Circulation librarian
Moved to Cataloging
Then moved to Systems
Now head of my own department
As it turns out, all of the above and more
We’re getting there!

5. Staff, equipment, scanning, storage Digital Collections at UIC
PETER
Digital Programs
Staff, equipment, scanning, storage
Catalog/RDA
Metadata expertise
KRISTIN
Special Collections
The cool stuff
Current set-up for digitization projects
Digital Collections at UIC

6. History of metadata at UIC Library
UIC-Core
No metadata specialist
Involvement of multiple departments (but not metadata specialists)

7. History of metadata at UIC Library
Development of guidelines
Special Collections centric
Not all metadata understood

8. Variable metadata needs
Per collection and even within collections: geography, time period, source, and more
Legacy collections
Example: CITY2000
Dirty metadata - cleaning, re-writing needed before mounting
Stakeholders within Library
Cataloging
Special Collections
University Archives
And others, minimally

9. Workflow – who writes metadata?
Who should?
Fit with processing collections and digitization work
Quality assurance?
Example: CITY2000:
Special Collections responsible for collection but not metadata
Stakeholders within Library
Cataloging
Special Collections
University Archives
And others, minimally

10. Considerations Metadata must
meet standards as interpreted by Catalog Department
be grasped by librarians writing it
above all, serve user needs for accessing materials
Stakeholders within Library
Cataloging
Special Collections
University Archives
And others, minimally

11. Process of development
Consultative/collaborative
Wiki space
Shared responsibility, shared access
Transparency: open to everyone (at UIC)

12. Standards to Consider Prior UIC work CARLI Required metadata fields
UIC Core
Digital Image Guidelines
CARLI
Required metadata fields

13. Standards to Consider Best practices for descriptive metadata
Other libraries
UNC, Penn State, Collaborative Digitization Program, etc.
New: best practices for CDM shareable metadata

14. Ongoing maintenance Modifications as needed Project by project
Development of Application Profiles for specific collections
Geographic collections

15.
Twiki wiki: The wiki is great for fast updating and versioning control, but is also not a WYSIWYG editor so can be a little daunting. Using multiple wiki software can add to confusion! Not to mention timeouts with Bluestem.

16. Easy table format allows users to click straight to instructions for field

17. Information indicates:
- label name
- mapping to DC
- required/optional
- searchable/not searchable
- viewable/hidden (why would you want to hide? Example coming up with date fields)
- repeatable content (CDM does not allow the same field to have the same label, but you can repeat with different names
- use of controlled vocabularly
- description
- instructions
- examples

18. Creator example continued

19. Date has both a viewable and hidden version.

20. Issues/New Directions
Contending with new materials
Retrospective work
ContentDM 5 upgrade
Shareable vocabularies
New faceted browse options
Sharing metadata via WorldCat

21. Example from CITY2000

22. Metadat for example. Discuss use of specific labels: advantages within CDM and controlled vocabulary for clicking, but disadvantage with sharing (all maps to description, meaning can get lost); note date

23. Date browsing from Carberry. Why making fields hidden now has a cost.
Carberry Collection

24. Seven Settlement Houses
Clean-up needed to have metadata conform to CARLI guidelines. Note that titles are identifiers, a no-no.
Seven Settlement Houses

25. Shared vocabulary for all collections
Have a controlled vocabulary for collection name allows the user to easily retrieve all items in a specific collection (and gives them the nifty facets on the left)

26. Conclusions
Questions?

27. Public Link to data dictionary: Portal:CONTENTdm#Metadata
KRISTIN E. MARTIN
PETER HEPBURN
Public Link to data dictionary:
Portal:CONTENTdm#Metadata
Closing comments
Mistakes are not the end of the world
Some findability is better than none
Still, better to iron out issues beforehand rather than partway through
Good to ensure that any plan that does come into place is flexible enough for exceptions or special circumstances
Document, document, document